Meet opens with 16 time trials for the Ruidoso Futurity
The 16-race opening day program of the Ruidoso Downs spring-summer meeting on Friday consists entirely of 350-yard time trials for the June 13 Ruidoso Futurity.
The five fastest runners, regardless of finishing position, will qualify for the final. A similar program of time trials will be run on Saturday.
The Ruidoso Downs season continues through Sept. 6.
There are 152 entrants on Friday, which consists primarily of first-time starters. Ruidoso Downs is the second track in New Mexico to operate this year, preceded by SunRay Park which opened its brief meeting in the northwest part of the state in April. Sunland Park, near El Paso, did not run a 2020-21 winter-spring meeting because of the pandemic.
In Friday’s trials, there are 12 winners – 11 from the ongoing Remington Park meeting and one from Weber Downs in Utah.
Mr Apollo Jess, fifth in the $926,500 Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity on April 17, starts in the seventh trial for new trainer Toby Keeton. Kelly Heltzel, the previous trainer of Mr Apollo Jess, was summarily suspended by Remington Park stewards on April 29 after San Lorenzo Tay, the winner of the Remington Park Oklahoma-Bred Futurity, tested positive for the banned breathing medication clenbuterol.
Mr Apollo Jess has won 2 of 3 starts and earned $86,629, by far the highest earnings of Friday’s entrants.
The 16th and final trial will be the career debut of Wasp, a colt by Favorite Cartel purchased for $165,000 at the 2020 Ruidoso yearling sale, which was held in Oklahoma City last August because of coronavirus audience restrictions in New Mexico at the time.